Apple asks the U.S. Supreme Court to halt proceedings in its long-running App Store dispute with Epic Games, seeking an emergency stay of a lower-court finding that Apple is in contempt for charging fees on purchases made through third-party payment systems linked from outside the App Store. Apple argues that continuing the process would cause irreparable harm, force additional litigation under what it calls a prejudicial contempt posture, and require disclosure of confidential business information. It also argues that the scope of the injunction should be limited, potentially applying only to Epic Games rather than all developers distributing apps in the United States.
The dispute stems from earlier court orders requiring Apple to relax anti-steering rules. Apple complied with allowing external links but continued to collect fees, leading the district court to find Apple in contempt. In April 2025, Apple is reported to have stopped collecting certain fees on linked-out purchases in the U.S., while the Ninth Circuit ordered further proceedings to determine a “reasonable fee.”
Multiple outlets report that after Apple’s request, the Supreme Court ultimately declines to pause the contempt-related order. As a result, the case proceeds back to the district court to decide what commission Apple may charge for the relevant off-App Store transactions.
